Getting a haircut for Ron Dennis

In April 2005, with Juan Pablo Montoya injured, Alex Wurz drove for McLaren in the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix (picture above), finishing fourth in the race. He was awarded third place after both BAR-Honda drivers were disqualified.

The Austrian, who was McLaren test driver since 2001, knew the MP4-20 perfectly, qualified seventh, albeit 1.7 seconds behind his team mate and pole man Raïkkonen, drove a good race and finished a solid third behind Fernando Alonso (the winner in a Renault) and Michael Schumacher (second in a Ferrari).

Alex Wurz took a total of 69 starts in F1, scored three podiums – two with Benetton and one for McLaren. He also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, in 1996 and 2009.

Picture below: Here’s Alex Wurz in parc fermé after the race. Funny anecdote: Matt Bishop, McLaren’s Chief Communications Manager at the time, remembers that he was ordered by his boss Ron Dennis to “Tell your friend Alexander to get his hair cut” – the word “friend”, he recalls, enunciated rather accusatorily. Wurz ignored the advice.